It’s a shame what’s happened to EA’s remake of NBA Jam.  It’s not the fault of the game; from what I’ve played of the Wii version, it’s actually pretty good, and does a great job of recapturing the spirit of the original.  No, what’s shameful is how EA has handled the release of the HD version of the game.  Originally, an abridged version of Jam was intended to be included with every new copy of NBA Elite 11.  Elite, for whatever reason (it’s not very good), got delayed until next year, leaving Jam with no avenue for release.  Now, in a slapdash effort to salvage some semblance of a basketball presence in 2010, EA has announced that NBA Jam will be released on November 17.  It will cost $50 and it won’t be a complete version of the game.  Ugh.

On day one, players will be able to play Classic 2-on-2 mode online, but other modes, like Team-up, Remix Online, Jam Party, and Online Progression, won’t be available until EA adds them via DLC in December. 

I understand that EA doesn’t want to be completely left out of this year’s basketball scene, but charging $50 for what amounts to half a game is ridiculous and somewhat insulting.  The DLC that completes the game will undoubtedly be free, but releasing unfinished software is a bad move for EA.  Ever since the advent of DLC, gamers have worried about publishers using it as a way to get games out quickly, then patch them up to 100% after the fact.  It’s a bad sign that EA is willing to do this, and I’m hopeful that customers will keep this in mind when considering a purchase of NBA Jam for the PS# or 360.